Yarines

34-year-old Yarines lives in Soledad, Colombia and has a business selling cold drinks. She started this 5 years ago when she bought two crates of beer and a styrofoam container filled with ice. She would spend weekends and holidays selling beer, soft drinks and sodas to her neighbors. She gradually bought and sold larger quantities in cash, and her business grew. Today Yarines owns 27 crates but sells 70, because she borrows the others from the place where she buys the cold drinks.

Yarines' goal is to rent a well located premises where she can assemble a store, but her biggest challenge is the lack of working capital to achieve her dream. She is currently planning to buy a refrigerator for 500 bottles to increase her sales capacity, and this is the reason that she is seeking the loan.

This is her first loan with the Mario Santo Domingo Foundation. Yarines wants to take advantage of the carnival season which increases beer sales all over the city and throughout it's municipalities where the carnivals are held. This is one of the main cultural and folkloric festivals in the country.

Additional Information

About Fundación Mario Santo Domingo

Fundación Mario Santo Domingo (FMSD) is a non-profit organization in northern Colombia dedicated to developing programs for the country’s poorest communities. In addition to numerous social services, FMSD runs a microfinance program to strengthen micro-businesses in the areas where it works. The organization also offers several non-financial components as part of this program, including training to help entrepreneurs start their own businesses.